Abstract: An integrated system for the derivation of useful energy from impure steam and/or use in connection therewith, said steam containing both hydrogen sulfide and an alkaline acting component, such as ammonia, while producing liquid-phase and gaseous-phase effluents from condensation of the impure steam and substantially reducing the emission of sulfur-containing compounds to the environment. Treatment of such effluents to selectively react or bind alkaline acting components in the liquid-phase results in an augmented concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the gaseous-phase and its depletion in the liquid-phase. The gaseous-phase comprising noncondensable gas contaminants and uncondensed water vapor is separated from the liquid-phase steam condensate and treated to remove hydrogen sulfide to produce an environmentally acceptable vent gas which may be discharged to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A new combination is disclosed of (I) a process for producing a substance enriched in a desired isotope of hydrogen and/or oxygen from a flow of liquid substance, e.g. water which becomes depleted in its content of said isotope, and (II) replenishing the liquid substance with said isotope by (a) direct contact with a flow of steam from a source external to the process, preferably geothermal steam, and (b) supplying feed flow of the process (I) from the so replenished liquid substance.

Abstract: Certain impure steams, especially those from geothermal sources, are polluted with hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, other gases, and finely divided particulate solid matter in a form resembling dust or smoke. These contaminants reduce the efficiency of the steam as a heat transfer fluid, are detrimental to equipment utilizing steam as an energy source, and result in environmental pollution or expensive requirements for limiting the same. Herein so polluted steam is selectively processed in the gaseous state to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom, with or without removing other pollutants, to recover valuable materials therefrom, and to improve the utility of the steam as an energy source. This is done by contacting a flow of the steam with aqueous liquid reactant media comprising one or more reactive compounds of certain metals electropositive with respect to hydrogen. The valuable materials subsequently may be recovered from said media as useful byproducts. The reactant compounds may be recycled.

Abstract: A process for purifying impure water, e.g. heavy water, which provides for the removal of dissolved inorganic and organic contaminants by distillation of the water and washed vapor withdrawal, and optional chemical pretreatment of oxidazable matter.

Abstract: Certain impure steams, especially those from geothermal sources, are contaminated with gaseous substances such as hydrogen sulfide, ammomia, carbon dioxide, substances comprising boron, arsenic and mercury, other gases, as well as finely divided particulate solid matter in a form resembling dust or smoke. These contaminants reduce the efficiency of the steam as a heat transfer fluid and are detrimental to equipment utilizing steam as an energy source. Furthermore, discharges from the utilization of such impure steams result in pollution of the environment or necessitate expensive requirements for limiting the same. The present invention describes apparatus wherein so contaminated steam is selectively processed at superatmospheric pressure for removing one or more of said contaminants and, after reduction of its energy content by pressure reduction and/or condensation of the steam, gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide are discharged to the atmosphere.

Abstract: Steam from a geothermal source is usually contaminated with gaseous impurities including, inter alia, one or more substances comprising boron, arsenic and mercury. Such contaminants are detrimental to the equipment utilizing the steam as an energy source and also result in environmental pollution. Herein, a flow of geothermal steam at elevated temperature and superatmospheric pressure is processed upstream of said equipment by contacting the steam with an aqueous liquid whereby said impurities are extracted from the steam and transferred to the aqueous liquid while maintaining the steam at substantially said elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: A two-phase hydrothermal flow, e.g. from a geothermal source, is separated and provides raw steam and hot water fluids at a temperature and pressure for production of powder from thermal energy contained both in the steam and hot water phases. The separated steam phase, containing noncondensable gases and/or scaling materials which may be detrimental to the operation of a prime mover, transfers thermal energy by condensation in a boiler to a supply of clean water which is vaporized to produce clean steam for use in the prime mover. The separated hot water phase is processed in a heat conversion system which extracts sensible heat and produces from a portion thereof auxiliary steam at least at the vapor pressure of said clean steam. Both said auxiliary steam and said clean steam may be utilized together in a prime mover and condenser system for production of power.

Abstract: Thermal energy contained in a flow of hot fluid is employed to produce a heat source liquid at a temperature higher than that of said hot fluid by transferring heat from said hot fluid to a liquid at a relatively low superatmospheric pressure, which liquid contains two chemical substances in combination pursuant to a reversible exothermic chemical reaction, causing said two substances to separate with one remaining in liquid state and the other, which is non-aqueous, volatilizing into gaseous state. The gaseous substance is then separately condensed at said low superatmospheric pressure and the condensate and the said remaining liquid substance are each pumped to a high pressure and then mixed together with the result that the two chemical substances recombine pursuant to said exothermic reaction causing the liquid mixture to heat to a relatively high temperature and thereby produce the said heat source liquid from which heat is transferred to a heat utilizing fluid, e.g.

Abstract: A two-phase hydrothermal flow, e.g. from a geothermal source, is separated and provides steam at a desired pressure for production of power both from the steam phase and from thermal energy contained in the hot water phase. The separated hot water phase is processed in a heat conversion system which extracts sensible heat and produces from a portion thereof auxiliary steam at least at the vapor pressure of the hot water, and this auxiliary steam may be utilized either separately or together with said separated steam phase in a prime mover and condenser system for production of power. Where a geothermal hydrothermal flow contains noxious noncondensable gases which contaminate the steam phase, after condensation of the steam such gases may be withdrawn from the condenser and dissolved in the cooled hot water phase and reinjected underground to avoid environmental pollution.

Abstract: Certain impure steams, especially those from geothermal sources, are polluted with hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, other gases, and finely divided particulate solid matter in a form resembling dust or smoke. These contaminants reduce the efficiency of the steam as a heat transfer fluid, are detrimental to equipment utilizing steam as an energy source, and result in environmental pollution or expensive requirements for limiting the same. Herein so polluted steam is selectively processed in the gaseous state to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom, with or without removing other pollutants, to recover valuable materials therefrom, and to improve the utility of the steam as an energy source. This is done by contacting a flow of the steam with aqueous fluid reactant media comprising one or more reactive compounds of certain metals electropositive with respect to hydrogen. The valuable materials subsequently may be recovered from said media as useful byproducts. The reactant compounds may be recycled.

Abstract: An integrated system for the derivation of useful energy from impure steam and/or for use in connection therewith, said steam containing both hydrogen sulfide and an alkaline acting component, such as ammonia, while producing liquid-phase and gaseous-phase effluents from condensation of the impure steam and substantially reducing the emission of sulfur-containing compounds to the environment. Treatment of such effluents to selectively react or bind alkaline acting components in the liquid-phase results in an augmented concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the gaseous-phase and its depletion in the liquid-phase. The gaseous-phase comprising noncondensable gas contaminants and uncondensed water vapor is separated from the liquid-phase steam condensate and treated to remove hydrogen sulfide to produce an environmentally acceptable vent gas which the in part is employed in said treatment of the liquid-phase effluent.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying impure vaporizable liquid, e.g. heavy water, which provides for the removal of dissolved inorganic solid contaminants from such liquid to produce a high purity liquid product.

Abstract: A processing method is provided in which flows of separate fluid streams, at least one of which is liquid, are intimately contacted and subjected to centrifugal force by being passed as a cocurrent turbulent flow circumferentially, axially, and inwardly and outwardly through sets of openings in the side walls of one or more cylindrical chambers having first and second elements coaxially positioned in a housing, the openings being provided with flow guide means for directing said cocurrent flows in the same circumferential direction at all times, and the axial direction of passage of said cocurrent flows in preferred embodiments of the invention being non-ascending and hence not counter to the force of gravity.

Abstract: In a dual temperature isotope exchange system--exemplified by exchange of deuterium and protium between water and hydrogen sulfide gas in hot and cold towers, in which the feed stream (water) containing the desired isotope is passed through a pair of towers maintained at different temperatures wherein it effects isotope exchange with countercurrently circulated auxiliary fluid (H.sub.2 S) and is impoverished in said isotope and then disposed of, e. g. discharged to waste,--the flow of isotope enriched auxiliary fluid between said towers (hot H.sub.

Abstract: Certain impure steams, especially those from geothermal sources, are polluted with hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, other gases, and finely divided particulate solid matter in a form resembling dust or smoke. These contaminants reduce the efficiency of the steam as a heat transfer fluid, are detrimental to equipment utilizing steam as an energy source, and result in environmental pollution or expensive requirements for limiting the same. Herein apparatus is provided wherein so polluted steam is selectively processed in the gaseous state upstream of said equipment to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom, with or without removing other pollutants, to recover valuable materials therefrom, and to improve the utility of the steam as an energy source.

Abstract: A new combination is disclosed of (I) a process for producing a substance enriched in a desired isotope of hydrogen and/or oxygen from a flow of liquid substance, e.g. water which becomes depleted in its content of said isotope, and (II) replenishing the liquid substance with said isotope by (a) direct contact with a flow of steam from a source external to the process, preferably geothermal steam, and (b) supplying feed flow of the process (I) from the so replenished liquid substance.

Abstract: Carbonate waters from subterranean and other sources which are contaminated with dissolved sulfides contribute to environmental pollution. Herein the sulfides are removed without otherwise polluting the environment by conversion to insoluble metal sulfide reaction products separable from the carbonate waters with production of CO.sub.2 -free H.sub.2 S as a valuable byproduct. The dissolved sulfides are reacted with metal salt to form an insoluble sulfide reaction product from which the decontaminated carbonate water is separated, the reaction product is then decomposed by reacting with an aqueous acid comprising the negative radical of the metal salt thus producing H.sub.2 S essentially free of CO.sub.2 as a valuable product. The reformed metal salt is recycled. Conditions are provided for extracting ammonia contained in the carbonate water and for removing arsenic and/or mercury matter therefrom.

Abstract: Certain impure steams, especially those from geothermal sources, are polluted with hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, other gases, and finely divided particulate solid matter in a form resembling dust or smoke. These contaminants reduce the efficiency of the steam as a heat transfer fluid, are detrimental to equipment utilizing steam as an energy source, and result in environmental pollution or expensive requirements for limiting the same. By the invention herein so polluted steam is selectively processed in the gaseous state upstream of said equipment to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom, with or without removing other pollutants, to reduce environmental pollution from effluents thereof, to recover valuable materials therefrom, and to improve the utility of the steam as an energy source.

Abstract: Apparatus for thermal control in dual temperature systems in which both liquid and gas are present together at different temperatures in different locations in the system. Hot humidified gases rather than being cooled with water are circulated in a cyclic treatment reclaiming their heat which is then used for heating and humidification of gases entering a hot tower.

Abstract: Improvements in the dual temperature exchange system wherein the feed supply substance traverses selected portions of one of the two temperature zones, said selected portions being correlated with the availability and/or cost of a supply of the feed substance concerned; e.g.